Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-10
TIE RlG &IRIIIE
iiscr" PrOnounces Sc a
Mtserabie Failure.
by telegraph TO the Dispatch.


New YORK, February 9.-The COM
McrciW AdrrrtiScr says regarding the
big strike: 1.-The strike of railroad
freight-handlers in this city was "A week
old last night. The longshoremen quit
work on january 9th. Both strikes
are now admitted, even by their pro-
iectOrs, 10 be failures. They have not
helped the cause of the coal handlers
nor brought about any increase of pay;
they have not even seriously interiered
with the business of the companies
against which the movement was di-
rected. There never was great labor
movement in New York city which
failed SO miserably rs these strikes.
At the present time there are STA
freight-handlers and 'longshoremen idle
in New York city rs n result of the
strike Two weeks ago these men had
steady employment at good wages.
Most of these labOrers will never re-
gain the places they left ut the com
mand of the Knights of Labor. Pro-
baby half of the men who have taken
the strikers places have been brought
from other cities. Now that they have
occurred good and steady employment
they will stay. The strikers have,
therefore, succeeded in adding three
thousand to the poor laborers of New
York, and have thus decreased
their own chances for getting en-
ployment hereafter. Besides the wages
they have lost and the suffering
they have brought on themselves and
their families, these are the only tan
gible results the strikers have gained.
The loss in wages TO date Is an item
deal larger than most persons imagine.
There are ,514 freight-handlers on the
East and North rivers who have with
to-day lost seven days work on ac-
count Of the strikes. Their average
wages when at work are $l.56 day.
They have lost, therefore, Sl3, 1856 since
they have been idle. There are 1920
'longshoremen along the North and
East rivers who will have been idle on
account of the strike two weeks to-
morrow. Probably they averaged g. 30
a day for the most part at this season OF
the wear. On this basis Of calculation,
the eleven days the 'longshoromen have
been idle have cost them 1898, 900, or
total cost on the two strikes of gill;
1856.
STEIKEBs sTRAGCLISG BACK.
A great many strikers are struggling
back to work, applying at places where
they are not known. In many cases
where they applied to be taken back in
their places they were refused employ
ment, and in other cases they were vel
coined. The longshoremen on Ward s
Cuban steamship docks returned to
work to-day on the old terms. Some
OF the strikers admitted that there were
too many men in the business for the
unions TO combat the companies sue
cessfullv. 1t seems TO be clearer case
of the defeat of the freight-handlers
and 'loncshOremen than of the coal
handlers, whose cause the former
two classes of labor espoused. There
are mutterings of n threatened general
strike on the Reading railroad i'll sup
port of the cOsl-handlers, nOtwith-
standing the published statements that
an amicable agreement had been
reached between representative of the
company and the different classes of
labor employed by it. If this strike
occurs it will he serious one for the
sroad, although it is not likely to help
the strikers on the other lines.
A statement is published to-day that
the strikes in the coal-carrying trade
have diminished 10y 5000 tons the
amount of coal that would otherwise
have reached points OF ultimate delivery
up 10 date